Johnson's France Warning Rings Hollow as Democrats Seize House

Speaker Mike Johnson’s warnings about a Democratic Congress have landed with renewed force as election results in New England confirm a significant shift in power. In his USA Today op-ed published on October 30, Johnson described France as a dark harbinger of what could happen in the United States if Democrats took control. He pointed to the violent riots rocking the country, including the smashing of buildings and cars and the torching of a historic town hall in Limoges, as evidence of a nation looted and burned by far-left radicals.

Johnson argued that the crisis in France resulted from decades of misguided policy choices, including lax immigration and border enforcement and suffocating regulation. He stated that French leaders allowed their once-great nation to be looted by those who hate it, serving as a preview of the path ahead for America. His comments were part of a broader campaign to frame the midterms as a choice between common sense and absolute crazy, a theme he repeated in interviews on Fox News.

During a segment on The Ingraham Angle, Johnson told viewers that a Democratic House would mean chaos every day for two years in the next Congress. He warned that voters would be turning the keys over to a group of angry Democrats seeking retribution against President Trump and his administration. He emphasized that in 2024, ten House races were decided by 6,000 votes or less, suggesting that every single vote in 2026 would matter in determining the balance of power.

The Speaker also cited the views of Democratic strategist James Carville, who admitted he would rather Republicans keep the House than Democrats win it by five seats. Johnson noted that Carville believed the Democratic party would be hostage to the DSA, or Democratic Socialists of America. The Speaker agreed with this assessment, writing that even a narrow Democratic House would be held hostage by the DSA and its false promise of a progressive utopia.

Johnson highlighted the record of the Republican majority in the House, claiming they delivered historic results in two years with the slimmest House majority since the Great Depression. He noted that Republicans delivered $4.6 trillion in lower taxes, the largest middle- and working-class tax cut in history, and a $1.6 trillion reduction in wasteful government spending. He also pointed to the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years and the largest decline in prescription drug costs in 60 years.

In New England, the election results reflect the national trend of Democratic gains. According to Ballotpedia, polls in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine opened at specific times on Election Day, with voters casting ballots in races for governor and the Senate. In Massachusetts, polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with incumbent Governor Maura Healey and Senator Edward J. Markey facing re-election. In Maine, polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m., with incumbent Senator Susan Collins seeking another term.

Rhode Island voters also cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in races for governor and the Senate, with incumbent Senator Jack Reed on the ballot. New Hampshire polls varied by municipality, and voters participated in a Senate race for an open seat and a gubernatorial race with incumbent Kelly Ayotte. Vermont polls opened between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m., with incumbent Governor Phil Scott running for re-election in a state without a Senate race this cycle.

The Associated Press reported that Democrats won control of the U.S. House, with 233 seats claimed compared to 138 for Republicans as of 4:12 p.m. ET on November 4. This net gain of 30 seats marks a decisive shift from the 220-215 Republican majority that entered the election. In the Senate, Democrats won 20 seats while Republicans won 13, with two races remaining uncalled as of 9:05 a.m. ET on November 4.

Johnson stated that he would not seek reelection as House Republican leader following the Democrats' win. This decision was reported by Reuters, which noted that the loss of his Republican majority in this week's midterm elections led to the Speaker stepping aside from his role as leader. The new congressional majority will begin its term on January 3, 2027, setting the stage for a divided government.

The Republican record cited by Johnson included the creation of the first-ever nationwide school choice program and the launch of Trump Accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028. He also claimed that more than a million private-sector jobs were added to the economy, with American manufacturing coming home as pro-growth policies worked in concert with the president's reshoring agenda. Despite these claims, the election results suggest that voters prioritized other issues, including the cost of living and the state of the economy.

Johnson’s op-ed also mentioned that Democrats forced three government shutdowns, including the longest in U.S. history, during the two years of Republican control. He argued that despite these challenges, Republicans delivered historic results. The new Democratic majority now faces the task of governing with a president who has warned of gridlock and threatened to use the power of the presidential veto to strike down their agenda.